This disclosure relates to automatically evaluating the wear characteristics of automobile and truck tires.
The average vehicle owner rarely checks the wear, tear, and tread depth of his or her vehicle tires and is typically prone to wait until there is a flat or a defective tire occurs. It is fully understood that the depth of the grooves on the tire greatly affect the performance of the tire and consequently the vehicle itself. As the groove depth is reduced due to wear and tear, the tires become less stable when they encounter water, ice or snow.
The problem of tire wear is even more important when applied to fleet vehicles, such as police cars, due to being exposed to continuous high speeds and severe maneuvers. Gone unchecked, a tire failure in these circumstances could lead to serious consequences.
Car rental agencies are also exposed to large liabilities, for renting a vehicle with worn tires. Therefore, these tires must be checked each time the vehicle is rented. The agencies are also exposed to tire thieves, which rent a car, exchange its new tires for a set of old ones, and return the vehicle to the rental agency. If the tires are not checked immediately when the vehicle is returned, it would become difficult to identify the culprits. If that vehicle is rented to a new customer with the worn tires, the rental company would potentially be liable for damages, should an accident occur due to the worn tires.
The problem of worn tires also applies to heavy duty truck transportation. Because of their large size and restricted accessibility, checking truck tires is often overlooked or ignored. Not checking the tires could lead to serious consequences, should a tire fail while transporting heavy loads on public highways.